CHAPTER FIVE: The Ransom-God's Greatest Gift

What is the ransom?

How was it provided?

What can it mean for you?

How can you show that you appreciate it?


WHAT is the greatest gift you have ever received? A gift does not have to be expensive to be important.  After all, the true value of a gift, is not necessarily measured in terms of money.  Rather,  when a gift brings you happiness or fills a real need in your life, it has great value to you personally.

Of the many gifts you could ever hope to receive, there is one that stands out above all others. It is a gift from God to mankind. Jehovah has given us many things,  but his greatest gift to is the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ.  (Matthew 20:28) As we will see in this chapter, the ransom is the  most valuable gift you could possibly receive, for it can bring you untold happiness and can fill your most important needs.  The ransom is really the greatest expression of Jehovah's love for you. 

WHAT IS THE RANSOM?

Put simply, the ransom is Jehovah's means to deliver, or save, humankind from sin and death.  ( Ephesians 1:7)  To grasp the meaning of this Bible teaching, we need to think back to what happened in the garden of Eden. Only if we understand what Adam lost when he sinned can we appreciate why the ransom is such a valuable gift to us.

When he created Adam, Jehovah gave him something truly precious-perfect human life.  Consider what that meant for Adam. Made with a perfect body and mind, he would never get sick, grow old, or die. As perfect human, he had a special relationship with Jehovah.  The Bible says that Adam was a "son of God."  (Luke 3:28)  So Adam enjoyed a close relationship with Jehovah God, like that of a son with a loving father.  Jehovah communicated with his earthly son, giving Adam satisfying assignments of work and letting him know what was expected of him.  -Genesis 1:28-30; 2:16, 17.

Adam was made in "God's image."  (Genesis 1:27) That did not mean that Adam resembled God in appearance. As we learned in Chapter 1 of this book Jehovah is an invisible spirit.  (John 4:24)  So Jehovah does not have a body of flesh and blood.  Being made in God's image meant  that Adam was created with qualities  like those of God, including love, wisdom, justice, and power. Adam was like his Father in another important way in that he possessed free will. Hence, Adam was not like a machine that can perform only what it is designed or programmed to do. Instead, he could make personal decisions, choosing between right and wrong. If he had chose to obey God, he would have lived forever in Paradise on earth.

Next time: The Ransom-God's Greatest Gift/Conclusion of WHAT IS THE RANSOM? 

From the book: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH?